After appearing in 27 games during the 2023-24 season, sophomore guard Yanniah Boyd has learned that confidence and a positive mindset are essential to success. On the cusp of her second year at Binghamton, Boyd is determined to build her skills and play a bigger role for the Bearcats during the 2024-25 season.
“One thing I like to do is get to the bucket so just always staying aggressive consistently [is important],” Boyd said. “[I want to] be a leader for everyone on and off the court.”
Boyd, a 5-foot-11 guard from Frederick, Maryland, began her journey on the court in middle school due in part to her sister Yanessa, who plays for Saint Francis University. Boyd attributes her sister as a role model who inspired her to go from cheerleading for boys’ basketball to picking up the sport herself.
“[My sister] started playing in fifth grade and I was a cheerleader,” Boyd said. “My sister is my role model and I wanted to be like her. I picked up the basketball, and ever since sixth grade, I haven’t stopped.”
Before starting her campaign at Binghamton, Boyd played her last two years of high school ball at Riverdale Baptist School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. While attending, she was a two-year starter and team captain. Boyd also played Amateur Athletic Union basketball, where her team, the Fairfax Stars, finished third in the nation at the Nike Nationals in Chicago, Illinois.
“I appreciated it so much because I learned so many experiences,” Boyd said. “I got to meet so many new people and make connections. It grew my game a lot playing in [Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball League] which is one of the best circles out there.”
Playing as a college freshman, Boyd found that a confident and optimistic mindset was crucial for success on the court. She stressed that basketball is just as much a mental game as a physical one. When that mindset is challenged by a bad play, Boyd doesn’t dwell on her mishaps and instead reminds herself to focus on the next play.
“The game doesn’t stop so you can’t stop,” Boyd said. “You just gotta keep fighting and push on.”
Her greatest memory from last season was checking into the first Division I game of her college career against Siena. In the final two minutes of the first quarter, Boyd received the ball from her former teammate, Denai Bowman, and made a layup for her first collegiate points.
“I got my first bucket off the back door from Denai’s pass,” Boyd said. “[It’s a] good memory that I’ll always remember.”
This year, Boyd is focused on being more aggressive taking the ball to the rack. Boyd, who averaged 0.8 points and 1.1 rebounds per game during her freshman campaign, looks to improve offensively and defensively from last season, setting high expectations to achieve this goal.
“I want to make an all-conference team, but I also want to make an all-defensive team,” Boyd said. “Then just build off of last year and use the last year as fuel and have a more successful season.”
Along with her individual improvements, Boyd finds that her team’s success in reaching the America East conference semifinals was because of their chemistry. She said camaraderie stems from the team having a balance of new and old players.
“We weren’t a young team, but we weren’t an old team,” Boyd said. “We were in the middle, so our upperclassmen definitely helped a lot with the underclassmen. I think that played a factor in us getting so far in the [AE] conference playoffs.”
Before games, it is common for athletes to have rituals like eating a specific food or wearing a certain piece of clothing. Boyd’s one-year-old ritual has been listening to Swing Out Sister’s “Breakout” before every game to help her get into the right mindset.
“My dad heard it in Kohl’s one day and he sent it to me,” Boyd said. “Ever since then I listened to it. That’s the last song I listen to before I put my headphones down.”